Some OpenType fonts don't display different font faces

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simifilm
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Some OpenType fonts don't display different font faces

Post by simifilm »

I have a strange problem with Mellel 3.4.b2: With some OpenType fonts, variations like bold or italics are simply not displayed. Examples are Garamond Premier Pro, Frutiger LT Pro and Stempel Garamond LT Pro. In all three instances I can select "bold" or "italics" and the displayed font doesn't change but remains regular. In other applications the fonts work normally. I know that Mellel has its own font handling, but this is a clear indication that it's not a problem of the respective font. Also, this didn't happen with earlier versions of Mellel, though I can't say when the change happened (I'm running FontExplorer 5.0.2, but this shouldn't have an influence on this).

Anyone else seeing this, any ideas?
simifilm
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Re: Some OpenType fonts don't display different font faces

Post by simifilm »

simifilm wrote:I have a strange problem with Mellel 3.4.b2: With some OpenType fonts, variations like bold or italics are simply not displayed. Examples are Garamond Premier Pro, Frutiger LT Pro and Stempel Garamond LT Pro. In all three instances I can select "bold" or "italics" and the displayed font doesn't change but remains regular. In other applications the fonts work normally. I know that Mellel has its own font handling, but this is a clear indication that it's not a problem of the respective font. Also, this didn't happen with earlier versions of Mellel, though I can't say when the change happened (I'm running FontExplorer 5.0.2, but this shouldn't have an influence on this).

Anyone else seeing this, any ideas?
Looks like I was too quick. This does indeed some to be a problem of FontExplorer. Once I close the program and activate the fonts in FontBook, the problems are gone.
simifilm
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Re: Some OpenType fonts don't display different font faces

Post by simifilm »

This problem still persists, and since Mellel seems to be the only application with this behavior, the problem is probably not on FontExplorer's side.
DavidH
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Re: Some OpenType fonts don't display different font faces

Post by DavidH »

I have two of these fonts in Mellel myself, Garamond Premier Pro and Stempel Garamond LT Pro. I manage them with Suitcase Fusion and have never had the problems you describe.
Can you embolden or italicize selected text directly from the Character Attributes palette, using the Face dropdown Menu? Can you use command-I or command-B to do so? If not, then Mellel isn't seeing the bold, italic, and bold italic forms of these fonts at all and you need to contact the Redlers.
If you can do these things, the problem may be that although you can do these things directly, building the capacity to do them into a Character Style is not working.
When you define a character style, Mellel gives you separate control (via what it calls style variants) over the unmodified (base) font face and the other faces that will be used if you call for bold, for italic, etc. while writing your text. Ordinarily the A or Base variant will be regular, the B variant bold, the C variant italic, and the D variant bold italic. Mellel often takes care of this automatically. But sometimes it doesn't, and when it doesn't you may find yourself getting regular even when you ask for something else. If that is what's happening, you'll need to use the Edit character style dialog box, selecting each of the four basic variations A, B, C, and D in turn and associating the right face with each: B for bold, C for italic, D for bold italic. In principle you might need to repeat this for each character style involving the affected font.
simifilm
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Re: Some OpenType fonts don't display different font faces

Post by simifilm »

No, I can't change the font face with Cmd+I et al. As I wrote, it's a problem of Mellel and Fontexplorer X and not of the fonts, since everything works if I quit Fontexplorer and have Font Book handle the fonts.
Eyal Redler
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Re: Some OpenType fonts don't display different font faces

Post by Eyal Redler »

Does this happen only with these fonts or is this something particular to any font managed by font explorer?
Also, does the "face" popup (Mellel's) has items for bold and italic? Do they show up in parenthesis?
Eyal Redler
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simifilm
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Re: Some OpenType fonts don't display different font faces

Post by simifilm »

Eyal Redler wrote:Does this happen only with these fonts or is this something particular to any font managed by font explorer?
Also, does the "face" popup (Mellel's) has items for bold and italic? Do they show up in parenthesis?
AFAICS it's really a problem of the interaction between Mellel and FontExplorer. Somehow Mellel fails to see FontExlorer's fonts, though I am not really sure when that happens. But it is definitely something which wasn't always a problem. I have been using both programs for years and the problem cropped up only recently. I can't tell exactly when though.
Eyal Redler
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Re: Some OpenType fonts don't display different font faces

Post by Eyal Redler »

I see. I wonder if there are any other people reading this experiencing trouble with font explorer and Mellel
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simifilm
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Re: Some OpenType fonts don't display different font faces

Post by simifilm »

Eyal Redler wrote:I see. I wonder if there are any other people reading this experiencing trouble with font explorer and Mellel
A free demo of FontExplorer which works for 30 days can be downloaded from fontexplorerx.com, so you could easily check out whether this a common thing or whether I am the only one experiencing it.
Eyal Redler
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Re: Some OpenType fonts don't display different font faces

Post by Eyal Redler »

We'll certainly have a look.
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